As a lifetime lover of fairy tales, I always wondered as to why no author had offered a reverse take on the classic tale Beauty and the Beast;
a story that featured a heroine whose incredible strength and unusual
appearance made her a pariah among her own people and culture, and of a
beautiful prince of a hero who was far more than he appeared; a man with
a golden heart who found his love and his equal in the woman who others
saw as a
beast.

Through the
years I had scattered visions of the story that came to be known as
Behold the Beauty. I saw a powerful healer with fire red hair and a
heart of gold. I saw the most beautiful hero I'd ever envisioned,
riding a horse through the forest in search of true love and a more
meaningful life. These imagined scenes remained just that until Mae
Powers, a dear friend of mine at Midnight Showcase (now Melange
Books) publishing, asked me to write an erotic fairy tale that really
pushed the envelope, challenging my bounds as an erotic author.

I knew then that the time had come for Behold the Beauty.

The
story of Prince Beausoleil, Agnatha the Healer, and the godling Edgar
became a 20,000 word historical novella; an adult fairy tale of a prince
who falls in love with
the most reviled woman of his village; the healer Agnatha, who saves
his life after a nasty fall from his trusted steed Xavier. Since its
debut in the beautiful Melange erotic digest Dieties of Desire, the
story has earned glowing praise from erotica critics as well as some
deep hatred from Beauty and the Beast fans; but I think that its mixed
reception proves the strong nature of the story, which is strongly
feminist in tone and is equal parts sweet and deeply sexual, humorous
and dramatic.

After
its publication in both Dieties and my own author's digest at Melange,
All the Queen's Men, I dreamed of seeing this story produced in some
way; maybe as an erotic film? A play? A video? But when my dear
friends Viktor Aurelis and Jeff Niles asked for a story that they could
produce at All Better Audio, their wonderful audio production company, I
knew that
my dream had finally come true. I've actually had tears in my eyes as,
through the magnificent voice actors chosen for this production, I've
finally been able to hear the voices of Beau, Edgar, the king, the
narrator, and of course my belov'd Aggie.

I thank them for this opportunity, and I invite you all to enjoy the world of Behold the Beauty.

The 4077th take an irreverent approach to the front line of audio production.

When things go bang, as they frequently do in our shows, we don't panic or hide for cover; we drink cocktails and consider if things might, perhaps, benefit from a charging herd of heavily armed elephants.